Almost To Die For - Tate Hallaway

Almost To Die For
A Vampire Princess Novel
Tate Hallaway
New American Library

Young Adult/Paranormal

Anastaija Parker’s life so far has not been exactly normal. Her mom is a True Witch; a witch who can do real magic. Her dad is gone. Her best friend, Bea, is a True Witch, too. At 16, Ana and Bea haven’t been initiated into the circle yet, but Bea can obviously do magic. Ana can do nothing. She knows that if she can’t show some kind of power, she won’t be allowed to attend the Circle meetings anymore. It’s a humiliating experience for those who have faced it. So far, Ana has been able to hide her lack of talent. But the days are ticking down to the moment she’ll be exposed.

As if all that isn’t enough, some guy shows up at the door, claiming to be her father. Her mom shows some pretty impressive magic skills to throw him out, but, naturally, Ana wants to know more. Who is this guy and why has she never met him? Have you noticed how the answers to those questions are never quite the answers you wanted? Turns out, her dad is in charge of the Vampires. Right. That makes Ana half True Witch and half Vampire and totally confused. Her dad wants her to follow his side of the family. Her mom is just as adamant that Ana follow hers. In her dad’s favor would be escaping her over-protective mom and not having to face the Circle as a no-talent dud. Also, the incredibly handsome Captain of the Guard sent to protect Ana. In her mom’s favor would be the entire past 16 years.

This is written for a young adult audience, but anyone who enjoys paranormals (or who remembers what it was like to be 16 and caught between parents) will love it, too. Ana’s background is different, but she was raised in the regular world, with regular friends, and is completely relatable as a high school girl. Her relationship with her mom has a few extra layers, but rings true; and her friends are all great characters. The history of the characters is rich and complex, and there’s obviously a lot more to come. This novel sets the stage for what could be a very entertaining series.

Rating: 7 ½
August 2010
ISBN# 976-0-451-23057-7